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UCI Issues Pro Tour Team and Event LicencesCourtesy UCI

The UCI Licence Commission met yesterday at the Olympic Museum in Lausanne.As a result of the meeting, 19 of the 31 candidates who had applied for a UCI ProTour team licence were given a positive initial evaluation by the Commission.

The UCI ProTour team licences will be valid for four years, with the exception of those issued to Lampre-Caffitta (3 years), T-Mobile and Illes Balears (2 years) and Fassa Bortolo (1 year). The Licence Commission turned down the application by the Phonak team.

The Licence Commission, created by the UCI to guarantee the principles of independence, neutrality and transparency in the procedure for awarding UCI ProTour licences, has three members and is chaired by Mr Pierre Zappelli, a judge in the Swiss Federal Tribunal.

According to the UCI rules, the Licence Commission may refuse to grant a licence, or reduce its period of validity to less than 4 years, depending on the following criteria:

1. Quality and speed of fulfilling the conditions for obtaining a licence;2. Guarantees of sound and stable finances for the coming four years;3. Quality of riders, particularly in terms of their ranking and results;4. Compliance with the UCI Rules;5. Compliance with contractual obligations;6. Compliance with legal obligations;7. Respect for sports ethics, including issues related to doping and health;8. Absence of other elements with a potentially adverse effect on the image of cycling.

Candidates wishing to appear before the Licence Commission to defend their applications, further to the initial evaluations published yesterday, may do so on 22 November, in accordance with the regulations. In the absence of any such requests, the initial evaluations will take full effect on 2 December 2004, when UCI ProTour team licences will be issued.

During yesterday's meeting the Licence Commission also approved the following events: